Court dismisses APC suit to sack Gov Tambuwal over defection

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday has turned down a petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the governor of Sokoto State, be removed from office due to his defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In a ruling in the case brought by the APC, Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo concluded that the Court of Appeal had previously rejected similar requests on related subjects.

Since the Supreme Court had not overturned the Court of Appeal’s rulings maintaining that governors cannot lose their seats due to defection, according to Justice Ekwo, that still stood as the law and were binding on subordinate courts.

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APC had in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/449/2022, asked the court to invoke sections 177, 179 and 189 of the 1999 Constitution to declare the governorship seat of Sokoto State vacant on the account of defection by Tambuwal to another party.

The party asserted that Tambuwal must be forced to renounce its support if he decides to join another party because it won the 2019 Sokoto governor’s race.

Justice Ekwo, however, ruled that given the Court of Appeal’s stance on related issues, the case brought by the APC is unsuccessful and without substance.

The lawsuit was subsequently dismissed by Justice Ekwo.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Aminu Waziri Tambuwal were each named as defendants in the suit.